Second installment of the WordPress Demystified series. Themes. Read the full post at http://www.mpaolini.com/wordpress-3-0-demystified-part-2

1. WORDPRESS DEMYSTIFIED
Build a new site and/or blog in 90 minutes

2. PART I COVERED:
 Create a database
 Upload WordPress
 Configure wp-config
TODAY:
INSTALL, LOGIN AND THEMES
 Install WordPress
 Login to WP
 Install a theme

3. OPEN THE URL
Note: This will only work for those that were at the workshop last week!
http://mpaolini.com/~xxxxxx##
Replace the “xxxxxx” with the username you were
given and the “##” with the numbers assigned to
your seat.

4. Site Title:
WORDPRESS 3.0
Use anything you like. If
you’re coming up with a
blank use WP Practice
Username:
Use your first + last name
DO NOT use spaces or
Enter a site caps.
e.g.: massimopaolini
name
Password
Use the password you
Enter were given. These can be
changed later.
first+last DO NOT change it now as
name we cannot spend the time
to retrieve it
Enter Email:
password Enter your email
TWICE Uncheck the
Search Engine
Click on
Install
WordPress

5. That’s it, you
WORDPRESS 3.0
know have a fully
functioning
WordPress site.
User name and
password you just
used.
WPpwd##
Now we customize
it.

7. Customize the
WORDPRESS 3.0
Dashboard
Setup the default
look of the
dashboard to suite
your style.
Click the “Screen
Options” link at
the top right of the
screen and
uncheck the boxes
you don’t need.
This will result in
a cleaner
dashboard with
only the items you
need.

8. The top grey area
WORDPRESS 3.0
tells you what blog
you’re working on
and has a quick
pick, the logged in
user, and the
logout function.
The main menu of
the menu on the
left is the control
center for your
site.
On a windows PC:
Right click on the
name of your site
(wpuser13 here)
and open in a new
tab or window to
view the site.

9. We will be
WORDPRESS 3.0
switching between
tabs. The one with
the WP “code” is
called the
dashboard. The
one with the WP
“front end” is
called the Site.
This is what WP
3.0 default theme
looks like.

10. Back to the
THEMES
dashboard:
The “Apperance”
section controls
the look of your
site.
WordPress Default
theme is Twenty
Ten and is under
the “Current
Theme”.
For those
attending my
workshop I
installed:
• Carrington
Mobile
• Thesis 1.7

12. To find additional
THEMES
themes click on
the “Install
Themes” tab.
Here you can
search among the
thousands of free
themes.
Premium themes
like Thesis are
built with solid
frameworks and
are very
customizable.
With free themes
you get what the
developer thought
of for an amazing
price.

13. Once you search
THEMES
the results will
look something
like this.
Here you can
preview and
install any theme.

14. For the exercise we
THEMES
are going to activate
Thesis 1.7
(If you don’t have that
use another theme of
your choice)
Thesis is a premium
theme that you have
to purchase. It has a
very customizable
framework and the
most powerful SEO I
have seen.
The theme costs
$87
Ask me: I have a
special price.
Click on the
“Activate” link.

15. The developers at
THEMES
DIYThemes have
an interesting
sense of humor…
The save button is
thus also
interesting.
Please note that
the text is easily
customizable.

16. Switch over to the
WORDPRESS 3.0 WITH THESIS 1.7
“site” tab and
refresh it. (F5 on
most browsers)
This looks very
different then the
previous theme.
All themes will
significantly
change the look
and feel of your
site.
Thesis is by
default very
naked. We will
customize it.

17. JUST COMPLETED
 Install WP
 Login to WP
 Install a theme
NEXT: THESIS AND WIDGETS
 Thesis configuration
 Widgets